


Solidity

by Pink_Tinted_Monocle



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Minor weight loss, Weight Gain, lawrusso, minor weight gain, weight loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:22:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27661289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pink_Tinted_Monocle/pseuds/Pink_Tinted_Monocle
Summary: Daniel is running himself ragged, so Johnny intervenes.Domestic Lawrusso fluff.
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence
Comments: 34
Kudos: 122





	Solidity

**Author's Note:**

> While this works as a standalone story there are a few vague references in it to A Standing Appointment so it can be read as a sort of sequel to that fic.

Johnny first noticed it one night when they were making out on the couch.

He curled a hand round Daniel’s waist and was surprised at how small it felt, how far his fingers reached. As the kiss intensified and he picked Daniel up, Johnny noticed how light the other man was. Far lighter than Johnny remembered him being.

That night, Johnny had studied Daniel while he slept (he figured it wasn’t creepy if he was doing it out of genuine concern). Daniel’s face was definitely thinner, his cheekbones sharper. Johnny pulled back the bedsheets to inspect Daniel’s torso and was shocked to see how prominent his ribs were. How had he not noticed before? How had this happened? It wasn’t as if they didn’t eat properly; since they had moved in together Johnny’s diet had improved considerably due to Daniel’s claim that hot pockets, slim jims and out of date meat did not constitute a balanced diet. Daniel insisted on breakfast, lunch and dinner, most of which he cooked himself.

In fact, Daniel had been doing a lot of stuff himself since his divorce; running the dealership, training more and more students at Miyagi-Do, decorating their new house. (Johnny had offered to do the painting himself, but Daniel had turned him down. “You’re too sloppy”, he had argued. “I used to do this professionally!” Johnny had protested. “No wonder you got fired”, Daniel had replied dryly. There had followed an impromptu sparring session which had soon turned into an impromptu sex session in their newly built bed.)

In fact, Johnny couldn’t remember the last time Daniel had stayed still for more than an hour at a time outside of sleep; every evening after dinner he was up and about, designing a new lesson plan or unpacking yet another container of possessions. (Johnny couldn’t believe the sheer amount of _stuff_ that Daniel had. Everything that Johnny owned fitted into two cardboard boxes and a garbage bag.)

_You’re wearing yourself out, LaRusso,_ Johnny thought with a frown as he looked down at his lover. He reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair out of Daniel’s face, smiling fondly. _But don’t worry. I got you._

*************************************************

Daniel arrived home one Friday night to find the dining table laden with sushi. His eyes widened as he surveyed the spread before he turned his gaze on Johnny who was lounging on the couch, a bottle of Coors Banquet dangling from one hand.

“That’s a lot of sushi”, said Daniel. “Is it from…?”

“Sugarfish”, Johnny finished, taking a swing of beer. “Yeah.”

“My favourite.” Daniel smiled. “But I thought you didn’t trust fish?”

“I don’t”, said Johnny. He pointed to a couple of containers on one side of the table. “I’m having a burger and fries. The sushi is just for you.”

Daniel’s jaw dropped open. “Johnny, I can’t eat all of this myself!”

Johnny shrugged as he stood up and walked to the table, taking a seat and starting to unpack his burger.

“Then put what you can’t eat in the refrigerator and have it tomorrow.”

Daniel pulled a face as he also took a seat.

“You can’t keep sushi like that. You’ve got to eat it while it’s fresh.”

“Just eat it all now then”, said Johnny. “I mean, come on, it’s just fish, how filling can it be?”

“Fish _and_ rice”, Daniel pointed out as he picked up a pair of chopsticks. “A _lot_ of rice.”

Johnny rolled his eyes as he took a bite of his burger. “Shut up and eat your fish, LaRusso.”

**********************************************************************************

An hour later, Daniel sat back with a satisfied grunt, one hand resting on his stomach, the table clear of sushi.

“Thanks Johnny”, he said, tongue darting out to lick a speck of soy sauce from his lips. “I needed that.”

“No worries”, replied Johnny. “You wanna watch a movie?”

“I can’t”, said Daniel. “I got a lesson plan to work on and I’d like to get a head start on sorting out the spare rooms for when the kids stay over.”

“No”, Johnny said forcefully, slamming a hand down on the table far harder than he had intended to. Daniel looked at him in shock.

“Look, what I mean is, it’s Friday night LaRusso! You can afford to take some time off to watch a movie with me, OK?”

Daniel sighed. “Well, I suppose one night can’t hurt.” He stood up slowly and made his way to the couch. “What movie do you wanna watch? And don’t say _Iron Eagle_.”

“ _Fine_ ”, said Johnny. He got up and walked over to the freezer. “How about _Iron Eagle 2_?”

“ _No_ ”, Daniel said emphatically. “And not _Iron Eagle 3_ or _Iron Eagle 4_ either.”

Johnny huffed as he dished up ice cream into two bowls. He walked over to the couch and handed Daniel a bowl.

“What’s this?” asked Daniel.

“A flamingo”, Johnny replied, digging into his own ice cream with a spoon.

“I can’t eat any more, Johnny!” Daniel protested. “Really, I’m too full.”

“But it’s your favourite”, Johnny pointed out. “Green tea.”

“Really?” asked Daniel. He watched as Johnny raised the spoon to his lips. “And you’re having some too, are you?”

Johnny shrugged. “Yeah, why not? It’s still ice cream, right, even if it’s a weird flavour. How bad can it be?”

Daniel continued to watch as Johnny put the ice cream in his mouth. His face contorted in revulsion a few seconds later. “Jesus, that’s disgusting!”

Daniel chuckled. “It’s an acquired taste, Johnny.”

“It’s a nasty ass taste is what it is”, Johnny grumbled, reaching for the TV remote.

Daniel ended up eating both bowls.

**********************************************************************************

The movie they settled on was _Top Gun_. Daniel started fidgeting ten minutes in, one knee jiggling up and down. He reached out for his phone but Johnny grabbed his hand instead and pulled him down so Daniel was lying in his lap.

“Just chill out”, Johnny murmured, stroking Daniel’s hair in a way he knew the other man liked. Daniel’s eyebrows furrowed together but he didn’t say anything.

As the film progressed, Johnny felt Daniel start to relax as he got more comfortable. By the end of the movie Daniel was completely at ease, laughing as Johnny provided a running commentary to the action. (“’You can be my wingman anytime’. Seriously, look at the way they’re eye banging each other. You know it’s Iceman he’s going to fuck that night, not Charlie.”)

As the credits rolled Daniel shifted, turning his head to gaze up at Johnny. “This has been nice”, he said softly.

“Yeah, it has.” Johnny smiled down at him. “You ready for sleep?”

Daniel grinned wickedly. “No. But I’m ready for you to take me to bed.”

**********************************************************************************

After that every Friday evening became a stay at home date night. They would eat takeout (with Johnny making sure Daniel always ate more than him, plus desert) before watching a cheesy 80’s movie (Johnny refused to watch a film from any other decade).

Johnny also started to help with the cooking on other days, repeatedly making just a bit too much food, the extra helpings always ending up on Daniel’s plate. As the weeks progressed Daniel started to seem calmer, less tightly wound. He laughed more as he gained back the weight he had lost (and then some), his cheeks dimpling when he smiled.

Due to Daniel’s active lifestyle most of the additional weight went on as muscle, his shoulders broadening slightly and his biceps thickening in a way that made Johnny’s stomach do somersaults every time he touched Daniel’s upper arms. Daniel’s behind looked amazing too; one night when they went for a drink after work Daniel leaned over the bar while he ordered and Johnny swore blind that every head in the crowded room swivelled round to get an eyeful of his ass.

But most of all there was a solidity to Daniel that hadn’t been there before; he took up more space, the indentations he left in the couch and the bed a little deeper. He seemed more present, more able to live in the moment, less concerned with planning and regulating every aspect of his life. 

**********************************************************************************

It was a Thursday, and Johnny had convinced Daniel to finish work early. They sat on the couch, kissing languidly. Johnny snaked a hand round Daniel’s waist, noting with satisfaction how much thicker it was these days. As their embrace became more passionate Johnny picked Daniel up, a decidedly more difficult task than it once was, and carried him into the bedroom.

As they lay in bed afterwards, breathing heavily, Daniel reached out a hand and entwined his fingers with Johnny’s.

“Thank you”, he said softly. “For looking after me.”

Johnny smiled in the darkness.

“Yeah, well, I don’t like to see you suffer LaRusso. Not anymore. You were stretching yourself thin.”

“Like butter scraped over too much bread”, Daniel murmured.

“What?”

Daniel shifted, turning over onto his side. “Nothing. Just a story my Dad used to read to me.”

Johnny rolled over too, acting the big spoon, pulling Daniel close into him so their bodies were pressed flush against each other. As they drifted off to sleep Johnny ran a hand down Daniel’s side, and was pleased to find that he could barely feel any ribs at all.

**Author's Note:**

> As much as I enjoy the size difference between Daniel and Johnny, I do sometimes worry about how small Daniel is, which is how this fic came about. (This is what my life has become – worrying if fictional characters are maybe just slightly too petite). Anyway, if you want, come say hi to me on tumblr (Pink Tinted Monocle).


End file.
